Ohio State will fire football coach Urban Meyer because he stood in front of television cameras – he stood there, last week at Big Ten media day, in front of the country – and lied when asked why he hadn’t fired assistant coach Zach Smith after a 2015 allegation of domestic violence.

Because there was no 2015 allegation, Meyer had said at Big Ten media day in Chicago.

And that is why Ohio State will fire him. Because yes there was a 2015 allegation, and Meyer knew about it on July 24 in Chicago – he had known about it for three years, since 2015 – and now he admits he knew about it. He’s not sure why he lied in Chicago, he suggested in a statement he put out Friday. He feels badly. He will be fired.

Or not.

Ohio State will not fire Urban Meyer because he has admitted his mistake, admitted his lie, learned his lesson, surely won’t ever do that again. Ohio State will not fire Meyer because he did, ultimately, do the right thing when he fired Smith on July 23 after a report surfaced about a pattern of domestic violence allegations against Smith. And Meyer did, ultimately, do the right thing by clarifying what he knew about the 2015 allegation and when he knew it.

Also, Ohio State will not fire Urban Meyer because he is the second-most successful coach in college football, behind only Alabama’s Nick Saban, and because Ohio State needs Meyer’s football program to generate enough money to fund just about every other sport on campus – and because Meyer’s $90 million football program does it. Ohio State will not fire Meyer because the school cannot simply replace a force of nature like this, not with any reasonable expectation of staying among the top five programs in college football.

In which case, Ohio State will fire Meyer because he didn’t merely tell a lie. What he did was so much worse. What he did was take a known allegation of domestic violence – known to him, because the alleged perpetrator, Zach Smith, had told him about it in 2015 – and pretended it never happened.

Insisted it never happened.

Ohio State will fire Urban Meyer because he took a page out of the Lance Armstrong Liar’s Playbook and went far beyond lying to protect himself. Ohio State will fire Meyer because, when he lied at Big Ten media day about the 2015 incident, he turned the tables on his accusers – and undermined the alleged victim, Courtney Smith – by saying: “There’s nothing … I don’t know who would make a story like that.”

Meyer lied so forcefully, he made whoever was telling the truth out to be the bad guy.

That’s why Ohio State will fire Meyer, and not because – though it really deserves to be mentioned – he has a track record of talking tough about domestic violence and swinging a very small stick.

Remember Meyer’s reign of terror at Florida, where dozens of his players were arrested – literally, more than 30 Gators were arrested in his six years there –including a running back named Chris Rainey, who was charged with aggravated stalking after he texted a woman that it was “time to die.”

Meyer let Rainey play again because Rainey was fast. And fast players beat less fast players. Florida didn't fire Meyer for that egregious lack of human decency because Florida was spineless.

Ohio State is not, and it will fire Urban Meyer because he was representing the Ohio State University on July 24 when he lied about allegations of domestic violence, and Ohio State cannot be made a fool by its highest-paid, highest-profile employee. Ohio State will fire Meyer because, in the statement he put out on Friday, he felt the need to include the words “here is the truth,” because even he knows this much: After Big Ten media day, who's going to believe him? Who will believe him, on any matter, no matter how forcefully he speaks, ever again?

Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow's partnership helped produce national titles for Florida in 2006 and 2008 — the latter with Tebow as the primary starter — and a Heisman Trophy for Tebow in 2007. John Raoux, AP

Urban Meyer holds up the trophy after Ohio State beat Oregon in the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game, earning Meyer his third title following the 2014 season. Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer is doused during a win in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes went 12-1 in the 2015 season, falling just short of the College Football Playoff. Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State went 11-2 and made it back to the College Football Playoff in 2016, but the year for Urban Meyer and Co. ended with a thud as they were shut out by Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. David Kadlubowski, The Arizona Republic/USA TODAY Sports

Urban Meyer listens as Ohio State University president Michael Drake speaks at Longaberger Alumni House on the Ohio State University campus, announcing a three-game suspension for the Buckeyes coach to be served during the 2018 season. Greg Bartram, USA TODAY Sports

Urban Meyer, alongside soon-to-be Ohio State coach Ryan Day, addresses members of the media after announcing his intentions to retire following the Rose Bowl. Meyer has gone 82-9 in seven seasons leading the Buckeyes. Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports